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Priene 243 pictures 9:45 minutes HQ video Priene is situated in the west of Gullubahce village 15 km from Soke. The name of the city is derived from the word puta/pria that means "a citadel" and from the suffix wana/ana that means "district" in the Luwian/Pelasgian language. Strabo the Geographer reports that Priene was first founded by Aipytus, son of Neleus. The very first location where the town was founded is not known for sure. The first settlement had two harbors. The town was destroyed by the victorious Persians upon the defeat of the Ionians. The town was re-founded in 359 B.C. when Alexander the Great arrived in Priene in 334 B.C. Alexander made material and moral contribution to the construction of the temple of Athena. Strabo wrote that Priene had a harbor called Naulochus, and the town was 7.5 km from the sea that time. The town is 15 km from the sea today. Coming under the domination of the Pergamene Kingdom in the Hellenistic period, and later under the Roman Empire, the town lost its importance due to the silting up of the area by the river Meander, but it became an important episcopal center in the Byzantine period. Priene also had an exceptional significance due to the fact that the religious and political center of Ionia, called Panionion, was located within its territories. Priene is one of the best examples of those towns which were laid in accordance with the Hippodamian plan. East Gate Situated in the northeast of the theater street, this is the main gate of the town. This was reached via a long stone-paved ramp from the outside. An impressive arch was built over the gateway. Temple of Athena The temple was built in the middle of the 4^th century B.C. The architect of the building was Pytheus, who was also the architect of the Mausoleum in Halicarnassus (Bodrum). The temple is a peripteros of 6 by 11 columns in the Ionic order. It was built of Mycale marble and painted in red and blue. It measures 37.2x19.55 meters, and is one of the best examples of the temples in the Ionic order. The cult statue in the temple was presented to the town as a memorial by the Cappadocian prince Orophernes. Theater The theater was built in the Hellenistic period, although some additions were made in the Roman period. The theatrical performances started with a sacrificial rite in the name of Dionysus. The capacity is about 5000 seats, and consisted of 50 rows of seats. There were six staircases for the spectators to reach their seats easily. The skene had three rooms and was covered with a wooden roof. Bouleuterion The building is a covered hall with an altar in the middle and with steps used as seats rising parallel to the walls on three sides. The hall could seat 640 people. On all four sides it was decorated with Daphne branches. The hall was roofed over with a wooden structure. The structure was built in 150 B.C. Temple of Zeus Olympius Built in the 3^rd century B.C., it was constructed with some alterations in the eastern part of the agora. The dimensions of the stylobate are 8.5x13.5 meters, in the Ionic order. The column bases are the same as those of the Temple of Athena. Agora Built in the 3^rd century B.C., the agora was in the town center and measured 75.65x35.40 meters. In the center of the agora were two altars dedicated to the god Hermes. The agora was surrounded by stoas on three sides just like a horseshoe. The shops were built behind these galleries. To the west of the agora was situated the meat and fish market. The sacred stoa was added to the agora in the second half of the 2^nd century B.C. Gymnasium (south) There were two gymnasia in Priene, one being in the south of the town and the other to the north of the bouleuterion. The lower gymnasium was built adjacent to the city walls, it is located in the southernmost point. It is preserved better than the upper gymnasium. It consist of a rectangular palestra surrounded by stoas on all four sides and classrooms to the north of it. The upper gymnasium was heated by hot air in the Roman period. The lower gymnasium was reserved for the youth, and the upper gymnasium, for children. Back to Turkey Index